Proud Kakinada is at the heart of India’s return to making Penicillin, says Andhra HRD Minister Nara Lokesh

Minister of IT and Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh on Friday said that Lyfius Pharma Private Limited's Penicillin-G facility in the Kakinada Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was helping India cut its dependence on imported raw materials for essential antibiotics.

“Proud that Kakinada is at the heart of India's return to making Penicillin. Andhra Pradesh is ready to play a key role in building a self-reliant pharmaceutical supply chain for the nation,” Mr. Lokesh said while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Modi said on X that “Penicillin-G is being made in India, Again! India is strengthening its domestic pharmaceutical industry and reducing dependence on imported raw materials for medicines.”

In an official release issued by the Union government, Mr. Modi was quoted as saying, "With over ₹5,000 crore invested and around 40 projects initiated under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, India is taking important steps towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in pharmaceutical manufacturing."

Mr. Modi had virtually inaugurated Lyfius Pharma Private Limited's Penicillin-G (Pen-G) facility at the SEZ in Thodangi Mandal on October 29, 2024. The company had invested ₹2,500 crore under the PLI scheme with an annual production capacity of 1,500 tonnes.